‘Tis the season for all things Christmas, and that time has begun! Well, if we’re going to be honest, that time of year begins a little early in my household. And here I’ll share with you what’s been on repeat in my home. There’s something so special about Christmas movies, the music, the cheer, that cozy feeling you get inside that get’s you so excited for what’s ahead. We watch them on Netflix and on Amazon Prime, and if you haven’t jumped on theRoku Streaming Sticktrain, you must – worth the investment!

I’ve been keeping this post as a reminder that hard times don’t last. And I’m not only speaking in regards to financial troubles, but in general. I’m speaking about the times when you don’t feel good about yourself, times when you feel defeated, times when you feel lonely, times when you feel unloved and unworthy, times when you feel like things just happen to you and times when you feel like things are just never going to change for you. Those times.

I’ll touch more about this later, briefly though, last week I had a complete thyroidectomy – or complete and total removal of my thyroid gland. This will mark my tenth surgery. And as much as I dislike hospitals, the smell, the cold air, the white coats and surgical lights, this surgery here was needed – but aren’tthey all! I mention this because I had many moments that I wanted to put into question, the whys were so tempting. The why me, the why am I here again, the why am I in my mid-thirties yet feel like I’m in my mid-eighties. Those whys. Yet I was reminded of God’s infinite mercy and love for me. That he’s given me for one, health insurance, two, a great team of doctors, three, a supportive family and four, he continues to touch my life in a way so that I can look back and know that he doesn’t forget me – he’s right there with me! Because I tend to forget about him, I deviate from his path the moment things don’t go my way. Yet he continues to be so faithful to me. I also realize that – like all things in life, I can either see my illness as a curse or a blessing. And today I choose to see my illness as a blessing.

So, when you feel like you’re the only one feeling like this, living in a very complex situation, trying to figure out something so out of your reach, trying to fix something that just can’t seem to be fixed, remember you’re not alone – he’s got you.

And as Steve Harvey put it so well ….

‘Faith will get you through it because God’s going to make it alright …. because trouble don’t last always.’

A-

failure is a great teacher, and I think when you make mistakes and you recover from them and you treat them as valuable learning experiences, then you’ve got something to share. – Steve Harvey

There is nothing scarier than a mom staring straight at their child and saying, nothing, absolutely anything. And I’m not just saying this because it’s been proven to work by those that lived long before we did, but yes friend it works! So, before you go on and tired yourself out trying to compromise with an eight year old, when all fails, just lean in and whisper, they’ll go wide eyed before you know it!

*this is a pre-scheduled post. Momlifewithchiari will be out of commission for a little bit. Please enjoy.

This time of year always gets me thinking of the people that this time can bring certain feelings into fruition, happiness isn’t one of them, but rather sadness and stress. Thanksgiving is getting closer, soon it’ll be Christmas and then New Years, it can all bring either joy or sadness inside all of us. As this can be a very lonely time of year for some.

Also, as you know, my home is still very much filled with little ones and you can see them here in our Christmas picture from last year. And so, we’ve already dove right into a few things, our favorite must watch movies from Charlie Brown to other Christmas classics – I mean, A Christmas Story. Yes!

There’s been one movie in particular that’s been on repeat these past couple day’s and that’s been the live action Dr. Seuss classic, ‘How the Grinch Stole Christmas’ released in 2000. Jim Carrey as the Grinch is brilliant but I’ll have to admit, this movie at first was unsettling – was it the makeup, the costumes or the people of Whoville?! I can’t say. However, now that it’s ‘grown’ on me, the message that I’ve gathered after watching it a few times – OK more than a few, is incredible.

So, before you go on and get stressed, before your heart begins to ache because there’s very little, very little money – heck, very little of everything, stop and think of why this season is so important. Why is this season more meaningful than things? I’m a parent and there’s nothing more that I love than to see my children smile, and let’s face it, children light up at the sight of presents. However, I also have a mission, because with these great children, comes great responsibility, and that is to teach them far more than any present can ever do.

Thanksgiving is this week, and it sure feels like the year has been flying by at a rapid speed – not sure why?! I always feel like after Thanksgiving, every other holiday is literally right behind it. I’m not sure if it’s the same where you live, but where I live the stores have been setting up their Christmas decorations even before Halloween. So, today I thought I’d give you some memes to commemorate the special day.